Cooling device for a ceiling

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a cooling device for a ceiling, the device having a cooling hose ( 11 ) through which there flows a cooling medium. In order to develop in an advantageous manner a cooling device of the generic kind for a ceiling, it is proposed for an acoustic absorber in the form of an air permeable, flat foam element ( 7 ) to be located underneath and covering over the cooling hose ( 11 ).

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Application No. 20 2006 016 723.4 filed Nov. 2, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a cooling device for a ceiling, the device having a cooling hose through which there flows a cooling medium.

2. The Prior Art

Cooling devices of this kind for ceilings are known. As a rule, a cooling medium flows through the cooling hoses, the cooling medium being in each case cooled again by a conventional cooling process. This allows cold air to be produced in the vicinity of the ceiling, this cooling bringing about the desired cooling of the room by radiation and convection.

On the other hand, for a room in which there are people, there are further requirements. Thus in particular acoustically advantageous conditions should also be provided. In this connection, it is already known to achieve a reduction in noise by absorbers based on a foam material being hung in the vicinity of the ceiling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding from the above-described state of the art, it is an object of the invention to influence in an advantageous manner the comfort in a room used by people, in particular in respect of temperature and noise.

This object is met first and foremost by the subject matter of Claim 1, where it is provided that that an acoustic absorber in the form of an air permeable, flat foam element is located underneath and covering over the cooling hose. According to the invention, there is provided a combination of the functional elements of cooling hoses and acoustic absorbers, which are in themselves long since known. The placing of the acoustic absorber underneath the cooling hose is not only connected with the obvious advantage of the cooling hose being removed from sight. Rather there results from this a clearly advantageous influence in respect of the comfort in a room of this kind in regard to draughts and temperature. The flat foam element distributes the cooling effect of the cooling hose to a relatively large area; this coupled with the effect of uniformity in respect of temperature. Persons in the room are no longer in direct exchange of radiation with the cooling hoses, but only in exchange of radiation with the foam elements located underneath the hoses. Because the foam element is permeable to air, cold air generated by the cooling element can penetrate into the foam element. The cold air is not generated only on the upper side of the foam element and has to flow downward for example between a number of foam elements hung beside one another by way of gaps. The air may use the entire area for outflow, even for different speeds of the air moving here. At the same time, the acoustic action of the acoustic absorbers is practically unaffected.

In an advantageous construction it is provided that the foam element consists of a foam material which is open-pored to the greatest possible extent. Foam materials are known which are permeable to air but have different porosity. In particular, foam materials of this type which have a kind of surface skin are also in principle permeable to air, this surface skin being however still permeable to air. Preferred in the present case is a foam material which has in this sense no surface skin and is open-pored to the greatest possible extent, i.e. to more than eighty percent of its pores. Especially preferred is a melamine foam resin, which is practically one hundred percent open-pored.

The acoustic absorber consisting fundamentally of a foam material, in particular as described above, is further preferably coated in every case with a non-woven material on one flat side, specifically the side which is directed toward the room. This material can be a glass fiber non-woven material, preferably a material of this kind with a coating such as for example an aluminum hydroxide coating. The non-woven material may have a weight per unit area of 150 to 250, preferably about 200 g/m². It may be laminated onto the foam. In particular, it may however be adhered on by heated adhesive points.

In regard to the cooling hose, it is preferred for this to run free of, but at a small vertical spacing above, a foam element. Both the cooling hose and the foam element are each arranged to run preferably horizontally.

Because of the cooling hose being arranged to be located free, cold air can rise and flow away again, on account for example of an air stream resulting from convection present in the room. In this way the cold air, as in principle already stated, on the one hand can trickle into the underlying foam element. Because of the open-pored structure, almost the entire volume provided by the foam element is filled with cold air but thereby also kept together to a certain extent. There ensues in effect a “lake” of cold air in the foam elements, this “lake” being provided by the foam structure with a certain stability. In addition, a further flow of cooled air may take place through clearances left between foam elements of this kind. Pertinent also is the cold air from the foam elements which sweeps past by convection on the underside substantially at the foam elements. Cold air is fed into the warmer air which sweeps past in a convective manner, substantially in a manner which can be compared somewhat to the principle of a water jet pump.

In principle it is also possible, even if not at present preferred, to enhance the heat transfer by a forced flow, for example developed by a fan, whether this be with respect to the foam element and/or with respect to the cooling hose.

The foam elements are further for their part preferably accommodated in a frame element. This can be an aluminum frame. The frame overlaps the foam element, at the edge, in order thereby to hold the element suitably. The extent of the overlap over the foam can be in the range from 1 to 20 mm, preferably 1.5 to 10 mm.

On the upper side, the frame preferably has a hook-shaped formation in cross-section, in which in turn a second hook can engage easily in a positively-locking manner, this second hook for its part being secured to the ceiling, whereby the absorber as a whole can then be suspended on the ceiling. It will be understood that a multiplicity of such suspensions are necessary for an absorber depending on its size. The usual size of an absorber can be 2 to 5 m². The thickness of the absorber (relative to the foam) is here preferably in the range from 20 to 50 mm.

The cooling hose can also be supported on the frame. Further, it may however also be suspended independently from the ceiling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present inventions will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the inventions.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a room with a cooling structure hung from the ceiling;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional representation through the illustration according to FIG. 1, cut along the line II-II, but directed to three foam elements shown by way of example with the cooling hose located over them.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A room 1 of a building is shown and described with reference to FIG. 1, the room having, in the exemplary case, a window 3 on one wall 2 which is an outer wall, and an opposite wall 4 which is formed to be solid throughout. In addition, the room has a floor 5 and a ceiling 6.

Flat foam elements 7 are disposed suspended from the ceiling 6, the elements consisting in detail of rectangular foam elements 7 of right-angled shape in top view and arranged in the surrounding frame 8. These foam elements may have for example a surface area dimension of 1×0.5 to 6×2.5 m, preferably of 3×1.25 m. They may have a thickness in the range from 10 to 100 mm, preferably about 30 to 50 mm, further preferably about 40 mm. In the case of the exemplary embodiment, they have a thickness of 42 mm.

The foam elements 7 are suspended on the ceiling 6 by the angle members 9 which are indicated only schematically.

A multiplicity of foam elements 7 are arranged distributed over the area of the ceiling 6. In the case of the exemplary embodiment, a clearance 10 remains in each case between two foam elements 7 or their frames 8. This clearance 10 may be around the periphery or only with respect to one narrow side or one long side.

A cooling hose 11 runs above the foam elements 7, as is to be gathered in particular also from FIG. 2. This is conducted in a meandering manner above each foam element 7, the representation being here also only schematic. Segments of the cooling hose may also be connected by metal surface portions one to the other.

It is further pertinent that the cooling, in any event in the case of the exemplary embodiment, is achieved solely by a connection to the cold water supply of a house. A special cooling unit and/or a coolant circuit is not necessary. Nonetheless an arrangement of this kind may naturally also be provided.

The foam elements 7 are filled with cold air due to the cooling hoses 11, at which warm air is cooled to about the temperature of the cooling hoses, thus in the case of cold water, between 10 and 15° C. In addition, air cooled at the cooling hoses can flow directly downward as indicated by the arrows 12.

Layers of air in the vicinity of the ceiling are also correspondingly cooled by this action and there results a convective air flow, substantially as indicated by the arrows 13. In this way, cooled air is fed as it were out of the foam elements 7 as indicated by the arrows 14.

All features disclosed are (in themselves) pertinent to the invention. The disclosure content of the associated/accompanying priority documents (copy of the prior application) is also hereby incorporated in full in the disclosure of the application, including for the purpose of incorporating features of these documents in claims of the present application.

Although at least one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it is apparent that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cooling device for a ceiling, the device having a cooling hose (11) through which there flows a cooling medium, wherein an acoustic absorber in the form of an air permeable, flat foam element (7) is located underneath and covering over the cooling hose (11).
 2. A cooling device for a ceiling according to claim 1, wherein the foam element (7) consists of a foam material which is open-pored to the greatest possible extent.
 3. A cooling device for a ceiling according to claim 1, wherein the foam element (7) consists of a melamine foam resin.
 4. A cooling device for a ceiling according to claim 1, wherein the foam element (7) has a thickness of 20 to 50 mm.
 5. A cooling device for a ceiling according to claim 1, wherein the cooling hose (11) runs free of, but at a small vertical spacing above, a foam element (7).
 6. A cooling device for a ceiling according to claim 1, wherein the vertical spacing is 0.1 to 1, preferably 0.3 to 0.5 m. 